


His Blessed Prize(s)

by blueskiesandblacknights



Category: Persona 5
Genre: -no scratch that, Akechi Owns A Pet, Alternate Universe - No Personas (Persona Series), Coffee Dad Sakura Sojiro, Fluff, M/M, Romance, akechi owns a cat, akira is such a flirt, and i'm living for it, because he loves them (deep down) :3, but he supports them, but only around goro though, i need more Akechi Owns A Pet AU ; - ;, i want more Akechi Owns A Pet AU ; - ;, sojiro looks so done with akira's flirty antics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:55:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26173825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blueskiesandblacknights/pseuds/blueskiesandblacknights
Summary: "Akechi should have seen this coming.He already knew that his landlady, Chiyo-san, owned a lot of cats back at her place, and that being a loyal tenant of hers, someone he could consider his aunt, and as someone who lives by himself and definitely doesn’t feel lonely, he would be a perfect target.So he was half surprised that one Friday evening, minutes after he (thankfully) finished his shower, he found Chiyo-san in front of his apartment, a ball of white fur in her arms."No Persona AU: Akechi Owns A Pet
Relationships: Akechi Goro & Niijima Sae, Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist, Kurusu Akira & Sakura Sojiro
Comments: 9
Kudos: 159





	His Blessed Prize(s)

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to Alex for being my beta for my first fanfic (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧  
> You can find them on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/maruitenshi) and check out their amazing Shuake/Akeshu art. I swear, they all look so adorable!!!! :3  
> And while you're at it, check out my [Twitter](https://twitter.com/aozorakokuyo)!

Akechi should have seen this coming.

He already knew that his landlady, Chiyo-san, owned a lot of cats back at her place, and that being a loyal tenant of hers, someone he could consider his aunt, and as someone who lives by himself and _definitely_ doesn’t feel lonely, he would be a perfect target.

So he was half surprised that one Friday evening, minutes after he (thankfully) finished his shower, he found Chiyo-san in front of his apartment, a ball of white fur in her arms.

“Ah Akechi-kun, good evening.” Chiyo greeted him with a kind smile, Akechi can’t help but smile back, albeit a tired one. “I hope I didn’t bother you from anything.”

“Don’t worry; I just finished my shower, so I should be heading to bed soon.” Akechi glanced at the cat in her arms. “Is there anything you need? I can prepare something for you while you are visiting.”

Chiyo shook her head. “No, there’s no need for that. I just came here to tell you something.”

“I presume it’s about the cat you carry in your arms.” He gestured at the said cat. "Is it new?”

She smiled. “You are correct, Akechi-kun.” She glanced at the cat with a fond expression on her face. “I just so happened to find her weak and wounded in an alleyway yesterday. I took care of her and patched her up, but because I have too many cats back at home, I can’t keep her.”

With a used pronoun mentally noted, Akechi let out a huff. “Chiyo-san, you should really stop picking up strays in alleyways. You have too many cats to begin.”

Chiyo sighed. “I know I know, but I can’t help it! I just have a soft spot for these adorable fluffy creatures.”

And it (she?) was fluffy indeed. Despite the scar on her left eye, he cat had an elegant look and aura on her, with her pristine white fur, a piercing green eye, and tail not too long yet not too short. Assuming by the way she looks at him, Akechi can say that this cat is a smart one.

“You clean this one rather nicely,” he said, reaching out to caress the cat’s head (to his satisfaction, she gave out a purr), “what’s her name?”

“I was hoping you would name this beauty actually,” she smiled, “since I’ll be giving her to you.”

Akechi blinked. “Pardon me?”

“I want you to have her. Just as I said, I have too many cats back at home. Besides,” Chiyo stared at him, “you feel lonely, don’t you?”

Akechi was at a loss of words. Was he that obvious? He made sure he buried those emotions deep down in his heart. Did he make a slip somewhere?

Something about his expression must have given him away because Chiyo reached out and grasped his hand, squeezing it in reassurance. “I know you don’t show your true feelings to everyone around you, but you can’t hide that away from me. I recognize those eyes when I see them; the faraway gaze you have when you observe the families in this complex, how your eyes lit up whenever I visit you, how you have the smallest hint of a frown when I would declare my leaving.” Her softened eyes made Akechi feel warm, like a homely feeling or a mother’s embrace. “You aren’t subtle around me, you know.”

Akechi took a shaky exhale. “It seems that nothing would get past you.”

Chiyo frowned. “I didn’t mean to call you out like that, Akechi-kun. I want to help you.”

“Don’t worry,” he said, “I understand. I know you’re doing this with good intentions.”

She gave a smile and let go of his hand, Akechi already missing out the motherly warmth. Gosh, was he _this_ touch-starved? “That’s good. So,” she gestured at the cat in her arms, “think you can let the kitty come in and give you the love you deserve?”

Akechi let out a laugh. “Of course. I think I’ll give this a try.”

“Good!” Chiyo beamed and proceeded to place the cat into Akechi’s arms. “She looks right at home.”

Akechi stared at the white fluff in his arms, who nuzzled her head into his shirt and let out a purr and smiled. “Yeah, she does.”

He proceeded to give a soft peck on the nape. “Welcome home, Eri.”

He may be a potential target for Chiyo’s cat adoption center, but really, he wasn’t complaining.

Not when he had his blessed prize in his arms.

* * *

He was correct when he said Eri was a smart cat. She wasn’t one of those difficult to deal with, which Akechi was grateful for.

While she may be an attention hogger, it wasn’t to the extent that he finds it annoying. It was only at necessary times when Akechi felt stressed or just wanted to keep his mind off things. She doesn’t even complain about the type of cat food Akechi bought or received (courtesy of Chiyo), so she wasn’t a picky eater. All in all, she really was a great cat.

She’s just a bit _too_ clingy. It seems that she doesn’t want to be separated from him, and he noticed this immediately. On the first night of her official stay, she followed him to his bedroom and found herself curled up on one side of the bed. Akechi tried to gently nudge her awake but to no avail. He can’t just pick her up and toss her to the side, that would scare the cat. Instead, he just gave in and slept on the other side of his bed.

He found the extra warmth comforting.

The next morning when Akechi had to leave for work, Eri can’t seem to stop trying to block the doorway.

Even with Akechi’s multiple attempts on lifting her from the doorway, Eri just comes back in front of the door again, and with every effort, she seemed to make herself heavy for him to lift.

Such a smart cat indeed.

Akechi and Eri spent ten minutes glaring at each other (or more accurately, Akechi glaring at Eri while Eri being unaffected by the glare and just stare at Akechi with one eye) before Akechi gave in and walked back to his bedroom, only to come out with a bag and (carefully) shove her inside.

Akechi can think of many ways to deal with this aside from shoving his beloved—oh so beloved—cat inside a bag, but it was a workday, and Akechi will arrive late if he can’t solve the problem immediately; especially if the problem involves one scarily smart cat, so he had to compromise.

This earned him a couple of weird stares from his co-workers and raised eyebrows when Akechi bought himself extra food, but he ignored them. After all, it was worth it, especially when Eri seems to behave inside the bag and only pops her head out when she wants a head scratch or a chin scratch.

He really was turning into a cat person. He can now see why Chiyo-san adores these adorable fluffy creatures so much.

As days passed, bringing around a bag instead of his iconic briefcase became the norm around his workplace, and if they hear occasional meows or Akechi dropping bits of food into his bag, they didn’t say anything; only smiling at his direction whenever Akechi would let out a huff or looked at his lap to cover the fond smile on his face.

It was like a breath of fresh air against the sweltering hot summer.

Every day, they would occasionally stop by the park near his workplace to have a moment of fresh air before going back home with Eri. Sometimes, Akechi would sit on a bench, reading a mystery novel of his choice as he caresses Eri’s head for her to sleep. During those times, after Akechi decided to stop reading, he would insert the bookmark between the pages before pocketing it in his coat. He would then lift Eri, waking her up a little, and place her inside his bag before heading back home. He would always make sure to walk as slowly as possible as not to disturb his cat’s beauty sleep.

There are times when he would cycle around the park with Eri perched on the tiny basket in front of his bicycle. It was those times where Akechi wanted to burn out some of the adrenaline and stress in his body.

But most of the time, Akechi would stop by for people-watching. It was a great exercise, especially for a detective like him. It helps improve his observation skills by guessing how people’s days went, what profession they have, or what their life was like by their mannerisms, expressions ranging from subtle to expressive, or even how they dress. He finds it quite refreshing that he found something to occupy his mind with.

In his eighteen years of living, Akechi never thought he would find happiness. He knows he doesn’t deserve this, but even if it will be for a while, he wants to cherish this.

As he stared at the curious green eye, he thought that _yes, I want to cherish this feeling_.

* * *

No matter how much Eri tried to nuzzle her head into his cheek, it didn’t destroy the wave of exhaustion that hit him with every step he took. He lost count on how many times Sae had looked at him in concern before she announced that she would take him to the cafe she frequents at.

While Akechi appreciates the thought, it would have been for the best if she just took him home. He said this out loud and, Sae responded that the cafe was nearer than his apartment, and he looked like he would need some coffee.

Sae also said she would pay for the coffee, so he had no choice but to accept. It’s rude to turn down something that is for free.

Sae told him that the cafe was located in the little town of Yongen-Jaya. While there weren’t many customers, it was one of the aspects Sae liked about the place. It wasn’t too crowded nor too deserted. It also had quite a homely vibe that made you feel relaxed, and the owner wasn’t quite nosy and tended to mind his own business. The customer service, while it could use some work due to the owner’s occasional bluntness, was adequate.

Now Akechi’s interests had been piqued.

As they exited the train, Eri popped out of his bag and perched herself on Akechi’s shoulder.

Sae saw this and let out a huff of laughter. “So, this is the rumored cat that made itself the talk in the office.”

Akechi reached out to scratch Eri’s chin. “That would be her.”

“Still,” she said as she reached out her hand towards Eri, “I can’t believe that you of all people would bring a cat in the office.” Eri sniffed her hand and looked at it in a calculative manner, deciding on whether or not she was someone suspicious or worth her time before nudging her head towards the palm and letting out a purr.

Akechi may be seeing things, but he could have sworn he saw a hint of a smile on Sae’s face.

“What can I say,” Akechi said, “Eri had charmed me into taking her wherever I went.”

Sae blinked in surprise. She noticed the teasing gleam in Akechi’s eyes and shook her head. “You’re just messing with me, Akechi-kun. You seem to be in a teasing mood for someone who was about to collapse a minute ago.”

Akechi laughed. “Sorry, I can’t help it.”

Sae shook her head and headed up. “Come on. We have to go.”

“Right.” Akechi held onto the railings and followed Sae up the stairs.

* * *

Leblanc was a quaint little cafe in the alleys of Yogen-Jaya. The moment Akechi laid eyes on the layout, he was quite shocked to find the cafe giving off a retro vibe as opposed to the modern ambiance most cafes tend to have. The owner of this place must be pretty old, maybe in their mid-40s or mid-50s. When he entered, he was greeted by the scent of coffee and something he cannot explain, something that felt like home.

“You are right when you said this place feels homely,” Akechi said as he scanned the place, “although it is indeed in need of customers.”

“If you have time to quip around,” a gruff voice behind the counter said, “make yourself useful by ordering something then.”

Sae sighed as she sat on the third stool by the door. “This is why you don’t have plenty of customers, Sakura-san.”

The owner, or Sakura-san, as Sae called him, gave her a pointed look, though it’s more out of fond annoyance rather than anger. “I have enough customers to come by, Niijima-san,” he turned towards his direction, his eyes softened a bit, “and you, have a seat.”

Akechi nodded and took a seat on the left stool beside Sae and placed his bag on his right, the stool nearest to the stairs leading to what Akechi believed to be the attic. Eri popped out of the bag and meowed at him. Akechi smiled and rubbed Eri’s head. “Hello to you too, Eri. I hope you don’t mind stopping by here.”

Someone was clearing their throat in the background, Akechi almost jumped. Sakura seemed almost amused and barely hiding his smile. “I asked what would your order be, but you seem preoccupied.” He glanced at his bag, which currently had Eri’s head sticking out, her green eye staring at Sakura. Sakura chuckled. “So you bring your cat with you too, I see.”

“Too?” Akechi asked. Sakura nodded as he slowly began pouring water on the filter paper. “Yeah, a barista of mine also brings his cat around every day, it’s hard to imagine him without his cat constantly sticking out from his bag.”

Behind her cup, Sae’s eyes widened. “Since when do you have a barista?”

“Just a week ago actually,” Sakura said, throwing away the filter paper before going back to stir the coffee, “his parents sent him here so he can have a place to stay in the city.”

“So he lives with you?’

“No, he lives upstairs.”

Sae raised an eyebrow. “The attic?”

“No room back at home,” he said (not going further into details it seemed) as he gave the cup to Akechi, “here you go.”

“Thank you very much.” Akechi took a sip of coffee and hummed. “It’s delicious!” He placed it down on the saucer. “You really know your beans.”

“It was nothing,” Sakura said from behind the kitchen, “you look like you needed one.”

Akechi lifted the cup to his lip and took a sip, savoring the sweet, rich flavor bursting inside his mouth. There was a hint of spiciness along with the sweetness; it tasted like cinnamon. He quite liked this coffee.

“I think I found my go-to cafe,” he muttered behind his cup, “thanks for bringing me here, Sae-san. I appreciate it.”

She waved her hand. “There’s no need for gratitude. I was actually planning on bringing you here some time ago. I just happen to find an opportunity.”

Eri meowed from the bag, giving thanks in her own way, then nudged Akechi’s arm.

Akechi chuckled. “Are you hungry?” Eri meowed in confirmation.

“Here.” Akechi looked up to Sakura giving him a plate of sushi. Eri immediately jumped on the counter and quickly nibbled on the sushi, making Sakura sigh. “I swear, cats are all the same."

“You don’t need to do that, Sakura-san,” Akechi frowned, “at least let me pay for the food as well.”

Sakura waved his hand in dismissal. “There is no need for that. Just think of it as a freebie. Besides,” he looked at Eri, sighed, and muttered something to himself before patting her in the head, “I had too many extras in the back.”

In the background, Sae chuckled at the interaction between Akechi and Sakura. She knew that underneath all the gruff tone and stern looks, Sakura was a soft man so she was enthralled, but not surprised by how quickly both Akechi and Eri tore through his walls when it took her almost a month for Sakura to accept her as a regular customer and not kicking her out after she finished her coffee. Then again, it was her fault that she gave him a horrible first impression.

Looking back at Sakura staring fondly at Akechi and Eri got her thinking that maybe, it’s the cat’s ‘charm’ that got Sakura.

The quiet ambiance was interrupted by the sound of a bell ringing and a quiet mumble of 'I’m home' from the doorway. Sae and Akechi looked and found a boy about the same age as Akechi standing there with both hands shoved in his pocket, his eyes trained on Sae, or as she realized, behind her.

He had messy black fringes, silver eyes behind lenses, and pale-ish skin. He looked somewhat lean and tall and radiated a mysterious aura around him.

Beside her, Akechi stared at the boy, a hint of a blush on his cheeks and ears. Sae could practically hear the arrow striking his heart this very moment, it was too amusing to watch.

It seemed like something had bloomed in this cafe.

"Ah, you've returned," Sakura greeted him as the kid passed by them and grabbed the apron from his hand, "had fun in the city?"

"It's not as fun so much so it's exhausting," the kid muttered under his breath, "seriously, Morgana can be quite picky on the food he eats."

"Morgana?" Sae asked.

As if on cue, a black shadow jumped from the stairs and onto the counter, licked its paw and rubbed said paw behind its ear.

"This is Morgana," Sakura gestured at the black cat on the counter, "Akira found him four days ago and ever since adopted the cat."

The kid—Akira—came back with a plate of sushi and placed it in front of Morgana. He glanced at the extra plate, then at Eri—who was staring at him with her one gleaming green eye—and turned his eyes to the owner. "Have you gone soft for Morgana that you decided on bringing in another cat?"

"What?! No, that's not my cat!"

"Eh, so you're not denying about going soft for Morgana?"

"Why you-"

"A-actually," Akechi cleared his throat, covering up the little stutter he had, "that's my cat."

Silver eyes met his maroon ones and Akechi felt his breath taken away from his lungs. Akira leaned on the counter, his hot breath brushing against his cheek

"Your cat looks beautiful,” Akira said, his eyes never leaving his. His voice sounded intoxicating. And smooth. And oh god, is that a smirk?!“seems like birds of a feather really stick together.”

Did he just- “Are you saying I’m a cat?” _What._

Akira’s smirk widened, “I’m saying you look beautiful.”

Akechi could feel his cheeks flush even more.

On the sidelines, Sakura and Sae were pointedly ignoring the scene occurring, with Sakura looking like he was done with Akira’s flirty antics while wiping the counter for non-existent stains, and Sae looking amused behind her cup of coffee.

Akira chuckled and leaned back, smirk still plastered on his face. “I’ll make you another blend since you’re out of coffee.”

Akechi looked down on his cup and—oh, he’s really out of coffee. When did that happen? Shaking his head, he waved his hand in dismissal. “No, there’s no need for any refills! I’m actually heading out now with Sae-san since it’s already late and—” glancing at Sakura’s direction, he continued, “—I troubled Sakura with feeding Eri. I don’t want to trouble you more by prolonging my stay here.”

Behind the lenses, Akira’s eyes softened. He offered Akechi a soft smile and took his cup from the counter. “Don’t worry about it. It’s on me today.” He winked at the end, causing Akechi to release a huff, a flush reappearing on his cheeks.

Sakura reached out to slap Akira in the head. “You know I’m here, owner of the cafe right? You don’t call the shots around here,” he sighed, “and you—” he glared at Akechi “—are not troubling anyone in this cafe. In fact, you can stay here as long as you like.”

Akechi opened his mouth to interject, but Sakura held up his hand before he spoke. “No buts, I insist. And bring your cat with you. I think Morgana is in need of a playmate.” The black cat hissed, almost like he’s disagreeing

at the idea of having a ‘playmate’.

Akechi wanted to reject the offer, he really did. But how could he, when Sakura gave him a proposal that, based on Sae’s subtle expression of shock, he probably never offered to anyone else. To be honest, he felt honored.

Plus, with Sakura’s proposal on the table, he gets to see this (cute) flirty barista any time. It’s a bonus.

Letting out a sigh of resignation, he nodded. “Alright, I’ll take the offer.”

Akira let out a soft ‘yes!’ under his breath and gave him a smile, which lit up Akechi’s world a hundred folds. Eri let out a meow and rubbed her head against Morgana’s chin, which made him bristle before settling down and hesitantly rub back.

Akechi watched them fondly. He was glad that he had found a cafe he can go to, with delicious coffee, a serious yet kind owner, and a playmate for Eri.

He was especially glad, he thought as he glanced at Akira, that Sae had recommended him this cafe. Because of that—

“Another cup of coffee, think of it as a mini celebration for your visit,” Akira winked, “as I mention before, it’s on me.”

—he found someone that made his world a little brighter.

**Author's Note:**

> I swear the pov of this story is going everywhere lol 
> 
> I don’t know where to go with nor if I will continue this, but if I have more ideas I might make this into a series.
> 
> I’m not exactly good at writing a story, but since I have this idea floating in my mind for a while, I want to put it on my document and flesh it out though I can’t flesh it as well as other writers can. I want to try my hand in writing, so expect me to write more since I have many drafts in my google doc ready to be fleshed out.
> 
> Posting will take time however, since I’m attending online classes and it’s hard to adjust my schedule at times, so there might be a huge gap of time between stories I will eventually post.
> 
> This is my first time writing a proper story so any comment will be appreciated, just not downright offensive because I’m a bit sensitive to downright offensive comments.


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